Etana made history as the first female with back-to-back top albums on the Billboard Reggae Chart and is the first female in 21 years to be nominated for the Grammy Award in the Best Reggae Album category.

Sly Dunbar is one of the most innovative and influential drummers of all time. Individually and together with his “riddim twin” bassist Robbie Shakespeare, Dunbar has played with the biggest names in reggae (Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Dennis Brown, Black Uhuru . . . the list is endless), giant stars in other genres (Grace Jones, Bob Dylan, and The Rolling Stones, to name but three), and produced a treasure trove of hit songs, songs everybody knows and loves that will stand the test of time.

On February 19, thanks to legendary sound engineer Scientist (also known as Hopeton Brown), I was introduced to Mr. Dunbar at Studio City Sound (in Studio City, California). Dunbar and Shakespeare were working on a project with Scientist,Odel Johnson (a versatile Jamaican-born, Canadian-based artist), guitarist Tony Chin, and keyboardists Franklyn “Bubbler” Waul and Michael Hyde.

Although Mr. Dunbar was extremely busy and under considerable time pressure, he graciously agreed to speak with me for a few minutes as the musicians finished their preparations for recording. We spoke about his memories of Bob Marley and Dennis Brown, how Bob Marley would feel about the “state of reggae music,” why Dunbar and Shakespeare left Peter Tosh to play for Black Uhuru, the Grammy Awards, the best recording studios, and finally, the Jamaican government’s failure to properly honor some of the country’s most talented and accomplished reggae musicians. What follows is a transcript of the interview, modified only slightly for clarity and space considerations.

Q: Recently we celebrated the 74th earthstrong celebration for Bob Marley. Are there any memories you immediately think of when you think of Bob Marley?

Sly Dunbar: I think of Bob Marley as a great icon who was part of the movement of [making] reggae what it is today. And I remember Robbie and myself used to go and check him when he used to come out to New York. And we’d talk, and sometimes we’d buck up in the music store and he’d always say to me, “Sly, you should open up a music school in Jamaica. A music store.” And I’d laugh. And he’d always say to me he wanted me to come play a whole album for him. And because I used to play with Peter Tosh, he’d always run a joke and say, “you don’t want to come play with us?” And I’d say, “No, man.” And then one night when he come back out of exile – he’d been away from Jamaica for a while, when he got shot – and Lee Perry kept [a] session, [and I] went over to Lee Perry’s studio, and we did like three tracks with him and I did –

Q: Do you think if Bob were alive today he’d be happy with the “state of reggae music” in the world?

Sly Dunbar: He would change it. He would go and write some wicked songs. Because he was a part of the movement. He never really shun it, you know? And when he hear a movement’s coming, he always join it. Because he’d know it was an evolution, and you can’t hide [from] it. So he would be a part of it, yeah man.

Q: Would [Bob Marley] be happy with the direction the music has moved in?

Sly Dunbar: Yeah he would be happy because he would set the trend, and everyone would follow.

Q: You also worked closely with Dennis Brown. I know you [played] on [his] original “Money in My Pocket.”

Sly Dunbar: Yeah. And the re-cut.

Q: When you think of Dennis Brown, what are one or two of your memories [of him] that come to mind?

Sly Dunbar: He [was] a great performer. Been playing with him [since] we were very young, [back when he was in] a band called the Falcons. And I did a tour with him. And I did a lot of recordings with him. He [was] a true artist. A great person. And a very loving person. A very kind person. A great icon.

Q: So much is written about Bob Marley. Is there anything about Bob Marley that you think is not emphasized as much as it should be?

Sly Dunbar: He was a great person. He was a nice person. I [was] around him quite a bit. The times I [was] around him [he was] a very cool person. He [was] into his music, you know? His music [came] first.

Q: You have said before that when you [played] with Peter Tosh, that [that] was one of the most experimental times in reggae [history], and that you guys were really experimenting with the music –

Sly Dunbar: Yeah, yeah. In that time, in the 70s there was a time when we started to experiment [with] reggae. Reggae started to open up into different areas, you know? And Bob seen it. He wanted to be a part of it, too. Which he did. He was a part of it. He came and he made a song called “Exodus.” In the kind of rhythm we were making at Channel One [recording studio]. So Bob is like a groove master. He would listen to what is happening. And if he was here today, he would make some wicked [music], because he was always [attune to] the next movements for reggae.

Q: Why did you decide to move from playing with Peter Tosh to working with Black Uhuru?

Sly Dunbar: Because we [(Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare)] were producing all these artists while we were playing with Peter. [And] Black Uhuru music is like a different kind of groove from what we played for Peter. It was a hardcore cutting-edge thing [and] we felt we couldn’t play that style for Peter, because he wasn’t singing that kind of music. So we played Peter’s music just the way he sees it. And we play[ed] Black Uhuru music the way we [felt] it, and thought it [should be].

Q: What are your thoughts about Sting and Shaggy winning the Grammy this year for Best Reggae Album?

Sly Dunbar: It’s great. ‘Nuff respect and congratulations to them both, you know?

Q: The Grammys are often criticized for being biased against female reggae artists. Also they’re criticized for being biased in favor of the Marley family –

Sly Dunbar: I don’t know. I don’t know.

Q: Are the Grammy [awards] still meaningful for reggae fans to pay attention to?

Sly Dunbar: Well, it’s meaningful for reggae artists. Because you get that [award] in your hand [and] you always cherish it. Because you look at it and say this is the work I’ve done over the years.

Q: Selecta Jerry, a DJ in New Jersey whose show I listen to called “Sounds of the Caribbean,” a show he inherited from [rocksteady icon] Keith Rowe, he played a song last week called “Jah Children Dub.” It’s a wicked song [and] it says on the .45 that you’re featured on it. And Selecta Jerry wanted to know if you were just featured in the dub on that? It’s a tune [produced] by Roberto Sanchez, and it says [on the label] that it features you.

Sly Dunbar: Well there are so many records I play on, sometimes I don’t remember [them]. (Laughing) But if it says that on the record, that’s it.

Q: (Laughing) It’s a great tune. A lot of [really] good [roots reggae, rocksteady, and dub] music is coming out of [producer] Roberto Sanchez’s studio in Spain.

Sly Dunbar: Yeah.

Q: He’s been working with Keith and Tex releasing new music, and he’s been working with you as well. Why is his [studio] able to produce such good, old school-vibes over there?

Sly Dunbar: Well this is what he’s focused on. And he probably [went] and researched the music [because] this is what he wants to do. And [he] realized how to put the music together. So he probably did it in that manner. And you stick with it. And perfect the thing.

Q: You’ve played in so many studios, Mr. Dunbar. What are the best recording studios in the world today?

Sly Dunbar: Today? (Laughing)

Q: Yeah, [or ever]. When you think of [studios] where you would most like to play, [which] are some of the best ones?

Sly Dunbar: Alright. Alright. Let me tell you some of the best recording studios. There are a couple of studios where I think my recordings came out very great: (Nassau) Compass Point [studio] with Grace Jones, Channel One studio, and Dynamic Sounds studio. We did Serge Gainsborough’s album at Dynamic Sound. We did all the Black Uhuru stuff and heavy stuff at Channel One. And some of the Taxi [Cab label] stuff. And the Grace Jones project at Nassau. Those three studios I think the recording was very great for me. They made the drum sound good.

Q: Do you have drum kits on all continents of the world?

Sly Dunbar: (Laughing) No, no, no. I live in Jamaica.

Q: One [last] question that I always ask reggae artists. Why is it that there seems to be such a lack of support even now with the Jamaican government in terms of both honoring the veterans –

Sly Dunbar: I don’t know, you know? ‘Cause I don’t care if they honor me or anything like that. I don’t know. But I think they should. Because there are a couple of people that have done some great work. Even this drummer by the name of Joe Isaacs. He did a lot of stuff. He played on Johnny Nash, not “I Can See Clearly,” [but] the first Johnny Nash song “Hold Me Tight.” And he played on a lot of Studio One [records]. He was the one who started playing rocksteady.

Q: And he hasn’t received any recognition [from the Jamaican government] for that?

Sly Dunbar: No, no. He hasn’t received anything. A lot of people don’t know the history of the work musicians have done in Jamaica. So we’re trying to organize to see if he could get an O.D. [(Order of Distinction)] or something for the work he has done. He put in a lot of work.

Q: It seems there are a lot of [very accomplished Jamaican] artists I’ve come across like Keith and Tex, Scientist, [many] who’ve never been [properly] recognized by the Jamaican government [for their tremendous musical achievements].

Sly Dunbar: Well like for Joe Isaacs, he has [played on] so many songs. The Jamaican government doesn’t keep track of what recording artists do. Somebody has to be assigned in the culture [ministry]. Somebody has to go and tell them because they don’t know. Because there’s no [serious] collection of anything [concerning reggae music history and artifacts] there. Remember [back] in those days, musicians’s names weren’t recorded. Nobody knew who played [on recordings when they were released]. It just kinda changed when [Robbie and I] started doing recording in the 70s. [Musicians’s] names started appearing on record jackets. People would see the musicians who were playing. But Joe Isaacs has played on all these songs, and nobody knows his name because he was never mentioned. Me, as a drummer, I could hear the sound and tell his style of playing.

About the Author: Stephen Cooper is a former D.C. public defender who worked as an assistant federal public defender in Alabama between 2012 and 2015. He has contributed to numerous magazines and newspapers in the United States and overseas. He writes full-time and lives in Woodland Hills, California. Follow him on Twitter at @SteveCooperEsq

She makes her American feature film debut playing a former test fighter pilot in MCU’s latest movie and for Lynch who stars in FX’s drama “Y,” it’s a role she was excited to play.

“I play Carol Danvers’ aka Captain Marvel’s best friend and it’s beautiful to see the female relationship that we have—the closeness, the sisterhood, the love—and the fact that it has been them against the world,” shares Lynch whose character Maria Rambeau has been best buddies with Danvers since their days as test pilots in the Air Force.

Based on the Marvel comic-book series, first published in 1967, “Captain Marvel” sidesteps the traditional origin-story template, with Danvers (Brie Larson) already possessing her superhero powers. Set in the 1990s, it introduces audiences to the first stand-alone, female-franchise title character—Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel, who is part of an intergalactic elite Kree military team called Starforce. She finds herself on Earth while trying stop the Skrulls—the notorious Marvel bad guys from an earthly invasion and lands on the radar of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and as they combine forces to find the bag guy, she begins to question her own identity and superhero abilities and figure out how she got from being this human jet pilot to becoming a powerful alien.

“My character Maria is Carol’s link to her humanity and link to Earth. And over the course of this story, she is the force that begins to teach and help Carol rediscover where she came from before she was this Kree Starforce soldier,” adds Lynch who went to Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix for her hands-on training.“Maria is a very competent former female test pilot. She is someone who was capable of doing many things in her occupation on but didn’t necessarily get to yet, being from a male- oriented environment. Carol and Maria became best friends when they were assigned to the same Air Force base and were literally stuck together like glue.”

“I’ve been a big fan for a very long me. I watched all the movies with my friends, and I’ve been aiming to be a part of the MCU for at least two years now,” Lynch continues. “I was really excited that Marvel was focusing on their first female Super Hero franchise. To be a part of this project in particular was exciting. I got to fly in an F-16 and it was the best experience of my life. It was crazy. It was a whirlwind.”

Scientist at the control board inside the studio.Photo courtesy Scientist

Honoring the 78th birthday of the late dub music pioneer Osbourne “King Tubby” Ruddock (1941-1989),Jamaica’s leading daily newspaper the Gleaner published an article at the end of January called, “National Honour for King Tubby?” Erroneously regurgitating inaccurate reggae lore, that it was producer Lloyd James (known as “King” or “Prince” Jammy) who was “Tubby’s right-hand man” instead of the truth, that Tubby’s “right-hand man” was legendary sound engineer Hopeton Brown (known professionally as “Scientist”) – see Scientist vs. Cooper (The Interview: Round 1) for more about that common misconception – the article quotes Jammy at length about how he received an “Order of Distinction from the [Jamaican] Government 12 years ago,” but, “when Tubbys was on top,” he never received any national recognition.

Similarly, in a December 2017 interview, I asked rocksteady icons Keith and Tex (Keith Rowe and Phillip “Tex” Dixon): “Since I think it’s fair to say that you guys are really deans of rocksteady music – true foundation artists – I was curious if you have ever received any honors, awards, or recognition at all from the Jamaican government for your tremendous musical achievements?” Quickly Keith said “No,” and Tex, ever spry despite his senior status, quipped, “So far, no. But we’re still young.”

This inexplicable and inexcusable failure to properly champion, support, and to even accurately record some of the most basic and fundamental truths about the history of music in Jamaica is a subject at the core of my multi-part, extensive phone and in-person interview of Scientist, himself an obvious and deserving – but thus far snubbed – candidate for official commendation from the Jamaican government. If you missed “Round 1,” the first installment of the interview, please track it down and read it. This is “Round 2”; it’s been modified only slightly for clarity and space considerations. “Round 3,” my next reasoning session with Scientist, will be released later this year.

Q: Now [in the first part of this interview] we mentioned briefly King Tubby’s famous “Roots of Dub” album. That’s an album that there’s no question about whether Tubby mixed it – he did.

Scientist: It’s a big inspiration until today to me. Every time I hear that album it carries me right back to day one.

Q: And I love that album too, and [I understand that] that album was one of the reasons you were drawn to Tubby’s in the first place –

Scientist: Yes.

Q: In a 2012 interview with Boomshots, you were asked whether Tubby’s “Roots of Dub” [album], or Lee Scratch Perry’s “Blackboard Jungle Dub” was the first dub album in the world. And at the time, you said, candidly, that you weren’t sure, but that you were sure [that] Tubby’s “Roots of Dub” album was the most known. I don’t want to revisit the age-old debate about which was the first dub album – both are terrific – but [I want to ask you this question] because I interviewedlegendary percussionist Larry McDonald recently[, in October,] after he and Scratch played at the Dub Club [in Los Angeles] to celebrate the 45th Anniversary of the Blackboard Jungle Dub’s release. And [so] I asked Larry: How involved was King Tubby in the final product that is the Blackboard Jungle Dub? As some people have suggested – I believe David Katz[, for example,] the biographer of Lee Scratch Perry – that Scratch has downplayed Tubby’s participation in the mix of that [famous dub] album. And Larry McDonald said specifically that he didn’t know, but that Philip Smart might know, though [Philip Smart] has passed on. And then, Larry said, “You know what, Scientist might know the answer to that.” So here I am with you and it’s a great time to ask.

Scientist: Candidly, I have to say, I don’t know. If I hear it – but look at what makes sense. Why is Scratch not mixing any albums now? If I hear it, I would have to hear it to remember it, I could tell you if it has King Tubby’s signature.

Q: Well hopefully, sooner rather than later, when we meet again, I can play it for you or ask you before we meet to listen to it closely. Because there has been a lot of speculation about the Blackboard Jungle Dub and how much of a hand King Tubby had in it.

Scientist: Well I met Scratch at Tubby’s. I know his wife, Pauline.

Q: His ex-wife?

Scientist: His ex-wife, right, Pauline. Scratch was – yes, Scratch was responsible for [the rise of legends like] Junior Byles, Bob Marley and [many other performers]. As far as the Blackboard Jungle Dub, I would have to hear it.

Q: Okay, we’ll revisit this question then.

Scientist: Yes.

Q: Do you maintain contact still with any of the surviving members of the Roots Radics, the session band you had so many hits with? I believe Flabba Holt is playing bass, and that Dwight Pinckney is playing guitar, for Israel Vibrations these days? And I believe percussionist Christopher “Sky Juice” Blake may still be alive, too? And I guess I wanted to ask you if you thought these would be good people for me to talk to?

Scientist: Yes, I’m still in touch with Flabba. (Calling Flabba on his cell phone.) Yo, Flabba?

Flabba Holt (by phone): Hello.

Scientist: Yeah, we’re doing an interview here, and I was trying to set the record straight about what you did.

Q: Hey Mr. Holt! This is Steve Cooper. I write about reggae music for Reggae Vibes and several other publications, and someday, I [plan] to write a book about reggae music. And [so] I’m hoping you and I will get together [for an interview]. Right now I’m interviewing Scientist[, in part,] about some of the misconceptions that exist about the mixing that was done at King Tubby’s studio.

Flabba Holt: Yeah man. Scientist is the champion of dub mixers. Tubbys was a good mixer you know, but Scientist really carried dub, especially Roots Radics dub. Scientist really make the dub thing carry on officially, you know? You understand?

Q: Yeah, I do. But one last thing I want to ask before we say goodbye is, what is it like working with Scientist? How was it that you guys were able to produce such crucial music together, and to really make dub explode in ways that no one could ever imagine?

Flabba Holt: (Laughing) Yo, mi a tell you already, mi a tell you again, you know? (Laughing) You see, Scientist, he is the man. Scientist – that man create dub. I and I – Scientist make the dub thing [with the] Roots Radics. The Roots Radics riddim, that, Scientist a-build. Scientist a-make the dub thing fi really work. Because no one knows it like Scientist. You understand?

Q: Yes. Give thanks, Mr. Holt! (handing phone back to Scientist who says goodbye and hangs it up.) Now [two] people who follow me on Twitter, “Gong’s Pinnacle” (“@RasThaFarEye”) and Dominic Ali (“@domali3”), wanted me to ask you how you felt about dub music being more popular and much more heavily produced in countries other than Jamaica, where it was born. Of course, I know you’ve discussed this many times in other interviews – including recently [in the UK] with DJ 745 – but it’s such an important issue when it comes to celebrating Jamaican culture, I feel it’s worth asking if you have anything more you’d like to say on the subject?

Scientist: It’s a disgrace. Dub comes from everywhere but Jamaica where it was created. And when you look at what makes sense, I am not there anymore. Tubbys got murdered. And when you look at what makes sense, “Princess” is still there [referring derogatively to King Jammy]. So why is the Princess not making any more dub albums? Why? And here’s why: There is a formula – and don’t get me wrong, you have the musicians like Flabba Holt, they are very important. But the engineering technique – that I didn’t really show anyone else – everyone back there [in Jamaica] was trying to look over my shoulder, and trying to figure out the technique, including King Tubbys. I didn’t choose it, it chose me. After I left, the day I left [the famous] Channel One [studio in Jamaica], it closed the next week. Or the following week.

Q: You went to Tuff Gong [Studios]?

Scientist: Yeah. And then Tuff Gong became the place where everybody and their grandmother who never worked there, started to work.

Q: And in fact, Professor Veal [at Yale], who interviewed you in 2001, wrote in his book about dub music that you could see by the number of [artists] who were coming from Waterhouse and other tough areas, were suddenly, many of them, were suddenly moving over to Tuff Gong –

Scientist: Yes.

Q: — whereas they used to go to Channel One [to record], now they were coming to Tuff Gong.

Scientist: Yes. Why?

Q: Because you had moved there?

Scientist: That’s the only reason and what makes sense. Because here’s what happened: When I used to leave Channel One – I used to just go up there just to hang out with the Wailers, with Carly and dem, and smoke weed – and one day I was in the studio and [the late] Willie Lindo said to me, “Look here, man, I see you with that smile. You have something that you know you’re not telling anybody.” And I was there smiling. And him say, “What is it, man? Come on, tell me! Tell me what it is.” And I say, here’s what you do Willie Lindo: “Book the studio, and I will show you. And I come like this, “See this button right here, Willie Lindo?” They all been mixing Bob Marley, everybody’s song in “monitor mode.” The [mixing] console has several different modes and positions. And bingo! Then they start to get the same type of sound like we got at Channel One. And then everybody and their grandmother, Yabby You, everybody, and no disrespect to Errol Brown, but he was kinda put in an embarrassing position as chief [engineer at Tuff Gong]. As they say, sometimes the best place to hide something is right under somebody’s nose. It was right there all the while. “Click” monitor mode. Click “channel line” position. Click, click, click different positions. You want to do a dub mix? Click, click, click. Well the dub mix is something different. Because I’m an electronics engineer, I know how to manage a console.

Q: In your opinion, who are some of the labels, and sound engineers, and others who are producing the cutting edged dub tracks in the world today? [And] where are they based?

Scientist: To be honest, I’m the worst person with names, but they’re all based right now in the U.K. They’re taking it and they’re supporting it more than even Jamaica.

Q: In a Facebook post [on June 25, 2013, you wrote]: “The current state of technology in the now familiar “digital world” has made it the perfect time to create a new mixing tool specifically suited to the needs of dub and other remix genres. It’s called the ‘Dub Control Mixer.’” Further you wrote, “I’m exploring collaborations with pro-audio manufacturing companies in the design of the new dub control [mixer].” Were you ever able to produce and bring to market the “Dub Control Mixer”?

Scientist: Well here’s what: By the time you get your cell phone, it goes through so much different reviews [and upgrades] that you don’t see it. Because I build it, not good enough. I build it, not good enough. And now I am at, what do you call it, the “final stages.”

Q: So you are still building it?

Scientist: Yeah. [It’s just] the technology keeps changing.

L to R: Scientist talking with writer, Stephen Cooper

Q: Another person on [Twitter], Jadesignlovin’ (@jadesignlovin’), wanted me to ask you if you’ll soon be developing a line of electronics, such as amplifiers (and noted that this question was based on something he understood you to have told [famous dub poet] Mutaburuka in a radio interview during the last year or so)?

Scientist: Yes, right when I was leaving to meet with you I was finishing up a circuit board. And the digital technology, it just keeps changing. But at this point, I think I’m at my final design.

Q: So we might see it [on the market] in 2019?

Scientist: Yeah. Because I have a couple of people that have been patiently waiting. I need to do it, I need to finish it, and the good thing about it [is] when I need to update it, I can update it over the internet.

Q: Nice.

Scientist: You see, the old electronics, you want a noise gate, that’s a separate circuit. You want a whatever, that’s a separate circuit. The new electronics, you basically have an input and an output circuitry, and it’s whatever you upload into the chip. So I have to study the digital language –

Q: I don’t know how you do all that, that is amazing!

Scientist: Yeah. That’s what I’ve been doing, and it’s like pulling teeth out of your head.

Q: Two more questions about equipment, and especially for the people who might read this who are “gear heads.” First, in an interview you did with “Space Bomb” records, you talked about how since moving to the U.S., in addition to continuing to create great dub music, you’ve also maintained a business creating mixing boards, amplifiers, and other personalized sound processing equipment. Putting aside the “Dub Mix Controller,” which maybe we’ll see in 2019, are you still doing personalized electronic work for people?

Scientist: Not so much, no. I’m mostly concentrating – like I did a “Master Class.” Showing some engineering technique –

Scientist: I’m getting ready to go back to the U.K. again. So that’s where my head is right now, and I need to finish up this digital electronic stuff that I’m doing.

Q: [In that same Space Bomb interview you did,] you said that often you would get home from a club, and your day [and night] would continue because you’d still [have to get] on the phone with China to get circuit boards. Are you still having to do that?

Q: Has [Trump’s] trade war affected your ability to get circuit boards from China?

Scientist: Well here’s what: The U.S. is a very good place. I would rather to be able to do it right in my backyard.

Q: To buy the circuit boards in the U.S.?

Scientist: Yes. But, to stay in business you have to have this enormous cost, which forces you to go overseas. So I and Trump agree with those things –

Q: Forcing China to be fairer on trade?

Scientist: Yes, because they can sell their cars over here, but we can’t sell our cars over there.

Q: Since you mentioned one thing you agree [upon] with Trump, is there anything you want to say [in this interview] about the things you do not agree with Trump [about]?

Scientist: Well, let me say this, I came to the United States in 1985 and not one policeman [has] asked me what my name is. I’ve been into all kinds of neighborhoods. I used to live in Woodstock. Not one police officer [ever] asked me what my name is. And I hear, “you’re getting targeted because you’re black.” Okay, why did the police stop you? You’re driving 60 miles an hour in a 25-mile-an-hour zone. That never happened to me, not one time. You have some people that come, and they come with destruction.

Q: Come to the U.S. you mean?

Scientist: Yes. They a-come with their destruction. They break the laws, dem create problems. So my thing is, if it’s a person [and] they’re going to school, they have their kids in school –

Q: The Dreamers?

Scientist: The Dreamers. They don’t have any criminal record. [And even if] they commit a crime, everybody make[s] mistakes. If it’s not a repeated felony – felonies should be looked at differently. I firmly agree that someone who goes through the correctional system, come[s] out, [and] continues to be in the correctional system, then that punishment is appropriate because you don’t learn your lesson.

Q: Do you have any particular feelings about the release of reggae star Buju Banton, recently, from having served a lengthy prison sentence in the U.S. for a drug conspiracy case? Recently, he received a hero’s welcome in Jamaica, and there were many different feelings about this. Did you have any particular thoughts about Buju Banton’s release? And further, do you have any desire, or if given the opportunity, would you do any work [in the future] with Buju Banton? Why or Why not?

Scientist: Well, everybody’s entitled to a mistake. He probably got caught up. [And it is] kinda screwed up the way the laws are in America and the rest of the world. With certain convictions. When you become an artist – and you, as an attorney, you also know this, you have to pass the bar, but you also have to pass a moral test.

Q: True.

Scientist: When you become an artist, you [equally] have a moral responsibility. Because a lot of people now start to listen to you. So what I want Buju to do, is to use his moral responsibilities and try to deter others so that they don’t get caught up in the same trap that he may have gotten caught up in.

Q: Part of the controversy surrounding Buju Banton is not just of course the prison sentence [he received, and conviction in the U.S.], but also has to do with previous lyrics of his and songs like “Boom Bye Bye” that some people have said have increased the homophobia that exists in Jamaica. And so that is part of the controversy surrounding Buju Banton. He has renounced [any homophobic views] publicly I believe, and he signed onto an agreement that he was no longer going to use lyrics that disparage gay people. Do you feel that, going forward, Buju Banton has any responsibility with his music to counterbalance any of the negative impact of the homophobia in some of his [earlier] material?

Scientist: Well, yes. Here’s what: [If] [a]nyone of us has an emergency situation, you don’t know what the doctor or what the caregiver’s personal [sexual] preference [or identity]. And that might be the same person to save your life. Inciting violence is not a good thing. Because you can’t have two set[s] of rules – because “boom bye bye on a batty bwoy’s head,” you have to treat it as a homicide. So you can’t incite violence. I know it’s a catchy sound, but at the end of the day if a gay person is throwing you a rope, and you’re drowning –

Q: You’re gonna catch that rope.

Scientist: You’re gonna catch that rope.

Q: Now we were talking about equipment, and we got a little sidetracked. And there’s still one equipment [question] I want to make sure I ask you [on behalf of Twitter user] Dominic Ali: “What are your favorite pieces of music-making equipment?”

Scientist: I can tell you the ones I’m not fond of anymore: [anything] analog. There’s no fun anything [in analog]. A digital desk does it all.

Q: What are some of the ways that your approach to mixing and creating dub music – in terms of miking instruments, the separation of instruments, the use of effects, working with singers and musicians, touring or giving performances – how has any of that changed or matured over time [for you]?

Scientist: After a while it becomes automatic. It’s like I can now do it in my sleep. But make no mistake, dub is just the performance, the engineering technique that enhance[s] the dub comes first, like the proper tonation and balancing of the instruments. That comes first. Then dub is just the musical performance.

Q: Before I forget, DJ Selecta Jerry in New Jersey wanted me to ask you: what are a few of the very best albums that everyone who loves dub music should have in their collection? And please, there’s no need for modesty.

Scientist: I would say [King Tubby’s] “Roots of Dub.” There was one by Errol Thompson and Joe Gibbs that I grew up on, I think it was “African Dub.” And there have been a few from Studio One. But I would tell everybody to get “Roots of Dub.”

Q: After interviewing you for his book on dub music, [Professor] Michael Veal concluded: “Using the mixing board as an instrument of spontaneous composition and improvisation, the effectiveness of the dub mix results from the engineer’s ability to de-construct and reconstruct a song’s original architecture while increasing the overall power of the performance through a dynamic of surprise and delayed gratification. The engineer continually tantalizes the listener with glimpses of what they are familiar with, only to keep them out of reach, out of completion.” Do you agree with this characterization of dub music by Professor Veal?

Scientist: There’s an art to it. Where you get the person hooked to a certain sequence. And then you keep switching them. And then I develop a technique that – one of the reasons it surpasses the original music is – you never hear it the same way twice.

Q: When it’s performed or you mean whenever you hear it?

Scientist: Whenever you mix it. If you even record a live performance and you play it back. To the listener, it’s never the same way twice [when] you hear it.

Q: You hear different things in the music every time?

Scientist: Yeah.

Q: Before you work on a dub version of an album, for example, when you collaborated with Hempress Sativa on the very, very fabulous release, “Scientist Meets Hempress Sativa in Dub,” how much time do you first spend listening to the artist’s non-dub tracks, to familiarize yourself with their music, in order to be able to better manipulate the mix?

Scientist: No time. Here’s what, to every dub album out there, there’s an “A” side. For example, Barrington Levy. “A” side. And then most of those albums back in the day, they were completed in three or four hours time. So a young up and coming producer like Henry “Junjo” Lawes, that we all were helping, who didn’t really have any money, so we give them an hour or two hours [of] studio time. And guess what? We have to mix the whole album in two hours. And if you talk to Flabba, a lot of times we were just helping out those producers. ‘Cause they didn’t have any money or was not financially capable. Like, for example, “Cocoa Tea.” And they make up the songs. We’d have to record them right there on the spot. And they’d only have two hours total to do the whole record. Because that’s the only money they could afford. So it [wasn’t] a whole lot of back and forth. You have to learn the songs right there and then.

Q: There was a lot of celebration in Jamaica due to the recent announcement that reggae music had been added to the United Nation’s Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) list of cultural treasures that must be safeguarded. There were a lot of government officials [in Jamaica] who took to social media and other [platforms] to [celebrate] this news about reggae music, highlighting the fact that this happened. Did you have any particular feelings or reactions about either UNESCO’s announcement, or any thoughts or feelings about the reaction by government officials in Jamaica, who, at least in my own personal opinion, have not done enough to support [reggae] music and musicians financially, or actually, in any way. Any thoughts [about this]?

Scientist: Yes, I agree with you. The government needs to do more in preserving reggae music. There are three things that bring notice to Jamaica: Rasta, marijuana, and reggae. It’s a disgrace to see an artist like Junior Byles lying in a trash heap.

Scientist: Yes. It’s a disgrace. King Tubby’s console should have never left Jamaica. The Jamaican government should have preserved it.

Q: I heard you talking about that [in your interview] with DJ 745. And this has always been something that has bothered me, and that I’ve asked numerous reggae [artists] about, [this] lack of financial support for reggae music [by the Jamaican government]. And a lot of [different things] have come up in the conversation, including the fact that reggae music has always been Rasta music. And that Rastas in Jamaican society have a long history of being looked down upon. Only recently are they starting to get some [real respect]. And also, not just Rasta, but that it’s poor people’s music. That downtown and uptown [divide]. I often think about reggae star Etana’s song “Wrong Address” [when I have this conversation now]. Because that song explains so much for me in terms of the lack of support [for reggae artists]. And it’s confusing to me, because as you said, [reggae music] is what Jamaica is [best] known for. [Jamaica] could make so much [more] profit [from it]. So even if [in Jamaica’s] soul, this is not [what you love], which I find hard to believe, because as Protoje and other reggae stars have told me, even if they don’t say they love reggae music in Jamaica, behind closed doors they’re dancing to Bob Marley.

Scientist: Yes. Well, here’s what: Jamaican reggae music [is] the voice of the oppression and colonialism, and injustice. Make no mistake: without dub and reggae, you wouldn’t have all these sub-genres [of music]. There wasn’t any way for speaker manufacturers or amplifier builders to end-test the result of their equipment without reggae.

Q: Mr. Brown, I know that you’re gonna be back in the U.K. next year. You have a number of shows lined up with “Mad Professor” [at the Jazz Café]. Are there any other projects or any other endeavors of yours that you’d like all of your many fans around the world to know about and watch out for?

Scientist: Yes. Right now my head is at electronics. When I go back to the U.K. next year, I’m gonna be conducting some more “Master Classes.” Like we did in Liverpool. And in Brazil. It was very successful. It shed light on a lot of things, and a lot of misconceptions that people had. So that’s where my head is right now.

Q: Can you describe what these “Master Classes” are?

Scientist: Well, for example –

Q: What I imagine is like a conference where you teach people what you know about dub music.

Scientist: Well it’s not dub music. Remember, dub music is just the performance –

Q: – the performance. The electronics piece [I mean,] I’m sorry.

Scientist: Yeah. Proper miking techniques. One of the bad things that’s been going on since the 1960s is the guitar amplifiers on stage.

Q: What about them?

Scientist: [They’ve] caused so much problems.

Q: Because they – they go on fire? Or what?

Scientist: No. You have the main speakers. The keyboard player’s been trained – I don’t know who came up with that nonsense – the keyboard should only have keyboard alone in his monitor. And the drummer should only have drums in his monitor. Here’s what happened: There’s a calculation that’s used in electronics to calculate to put sound in phase. Especially on a big stage. The time that the guitar or the keyboard take[s] to reach the drummer. And then the sound engineer up front, he’s hearing all this different phase shift. Plus he’s hearing what’s coming through –

Q: You said “phase shift”?

Scientist: “Phase shift,” yeah, that’s an electronic term. Even though it may be 10 milliseconds out, so when you have the keyboard, the drums and all these things picking up on a different monitor, it confuses the house mix. So especially in the Jazz Café [shows in the U.K. with Mad Professor], I’m gonna be showing why not to do it.

Q: Cool.

Scientist: ‘Cause here’s what: you have the guitar amplifier on stage, the engineer at front house position, he can’t accurately tell what’s coming through the guitar amplifier from what’s coming out of the house [amplifier]. Because one of them [is] always going seconds behind, milliseconds behind. So I’m gonna be teaching more on that like I did in Brazil. Waiting on some editing to get done. And you’ll see some stuff that’s talked about for the first time. Like I say, I don’t know why this profession choose me. It choose me more than how I choose it. And thank Almighty God for life.

About the Author: Stephen Cooper is a former D.C. public defender who worked as an assistant federal public defender in Alabama between 2012 and 2015. He has contributed to numerous magazines and newspapers in the United States and overseas. He writes full-time and lives in Woodland Hills, California. Follow him on Twitter at @SteveCooperEsq

]]>http://www.caribpress.com/scientist-vs-cooper-round-2/feed/0Winner of the $1.5 billion Mega Millions finally claims prizehttp://www.caribpress.com/winner-of-the-1-5-billion-mega-millions-finally-claims-prize/
http://www.caribpress.com/winner-of-the-1-5-billion-mega-millions-finally-claims-prize/#commentsTue, 05 Mar 2019 18:38:27 +0000http://www.caribpress.com/?p=61717The winner of the $1.5 billion Mega Millions jackpot has finally come forward to claim their record-setting prize. The South Carolina Education Lottery Commission announced that the lucky person has asked to remain anonymous and decided to take a lump-sum payment of $877,784,124. The winner will pay around $61 million of their winnings to South Carolina and will be responsible for federal taxes, which are approximately 24 percent.

The winner told the commission that while they were waiting in line at KC Mart in Simpsonville to buy a ticket, they let another person go ahead of them and credit that act of kindness with setting up their win.

America’s most lovable matriarch has gone to jail, joined a witness protection program, battled zombies, confronted the KKK and dealt with every imaginable disorderly scenario feasible.

Now, Tyler Perry’s latest and 11th comic tale centers on the meddlesome mama Madea who discovers a series scandals and skeletons long locked in the family closet whilst planning a funeral.

“I’ve been to a lot of funerals myself and though they are always sad and moving occasions, there are also a lot of hilarious things that happen at funerals,” shares Perry who assembles a cast of familiar faces in this latest offering.

Naturally, Madae’s two sidekicks, confidantes and equally trouble-prone partners-in-crime— Cassi Davis (Aunt Bam) and Patrice Lovely (Hattie) are back and this time they are joined by actors Jen Harper, Rome Flynn, David Otunga, KJ Smith and Quin Walters.

“In some ways, there’s nothing funnier than some of the things I’ve seen go on at a black funeral. So I thought there was no better way to poke some fun at those rituals than to imagine Madea planning a big funeral,” Perry continues.

Woven into the film is a story about a family coming to terms with a legacy of adultery, secrecy and unacknowledged selflessness and the film has Perry’s usual slapstick style of comical candor.

“Once all these crazy secrets come out, the family has to find a way to heal and come together,” explains Perry. “There are themes about learning to take responsibility for how you’ve treated other people. But at heart, I just wanted to make a movie that will keep people laughing.”

Ever since debuting in Tyler Perry’s first movie, “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” the rumbustious character known as Mabel “Madea” Simmons has taken on a life of her own. With her sassiness and penchant for trouble, Perry’s alter-ego creation—who he has said was originally inspired both by his own beloved mother has starred in a string of successful films etching a place in cinematic history.

Definitely Perry’s comically wildest drama, “Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral” is a poignant story about making amends.

]]>http://www.caribpress.com/madeas-mayhems-continue-in-tyler-perrys-a-madea-family-funeral/feed/0More millennials are in debt, report findshttp://www.caribpress.com/more-millennials-are-in-debt-report-finds/
http://www.caribpress.com/more-millennials-are-in-debt-report-finds/#commentsWed, 27 Feb 2019 20:01:50 +0000http://www.caribpress.com/?p=61699A new report found that Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 accrued over $1 trillion in debt by the end of 2018. The New York Federal Reserve Consumer Credit Panel found that the biggest driver of the debt was student loans, which have increased by 102% since 2009. The last time people in that age group had that much debt was in 2007.

While mortgage debt makes up the majority of overall consumer debt, it ranks second among millennials and has grown just 3.2% since 2009 as the younger generation has been putting off major decisions like buying a home and having children. It can be very difficult for a person with a large amount of student loan debt to get a mortgage, especially if they missed payments over the years.

Millennials have also been spending less money than older generations due to their massive debt load, according to Bloomberg. Many young people are working second and third jobs to make ends meet with many of them working over the weekend trying to earn money instead of spending it.

The recall is classified as a “Class I Recall” as the USDA believes “there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”

“The problem was discovered when the establishment received consumer complaints of glass or hard plastic extraneous material in the rib shaped patty,” the USDA said in its statement.

The meals, distributed by the Ohio-based food manufacturer, Bellisio Foods, were shipped nationwide, as well as to a Department of Defense facility located in Tucson, Arizona.

“There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions or injuries due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider,” the statement by the USDA added.

The USDA was notified about the issue on Friday.

Customers can check the label of their frozen meals, by matching the “Best Buy” dates of December 7, 2019 (lot code 8341); January 4, 2020 (lot code 9004), January 24, 2020 (lot code 9024) or February 15, 2020 (lot code 9046). Meals being recalled also have the “EST. 18297″ stamped on the end carton flap of the package.

Consumers are being urged to throw the meals away or return them to the place of purchase.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said today a new report highlighting the elevated levels of homelessness among black Angelenos is a “critical first step” in addressing the disparities affecting the African-American community.

Black people make up 9 percent of the population of Los Angeles County, but more than one-third of its population experiencing homelessness, which is consistent demographically across the country, according to a report by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness.

Ridley-Thomas was among more than 100 county, city and community leaders gathered who gathered this morning to discuss the report at the California African American Museum in Exposition Park.

“This report is a critical first step to address the collective failings of systems and institutions that — de facto and de jure — have been designed to deliver the painful disparities that affect so many of our brothers and sisters,” Ridley-Thomas said. “Hard work lies ahead to counter this tragic inheritance. If our region is to prosper, it is not only a moral imperative, it is an absolute economic imperative that all who call Los Angeles home are able to attain their full measure of dignity and self-worth.”

The report, which includes 67 recommendations, concludes that racism, discrimination and unconscious bias in public systems and institutions has contributed to homelessness.

“We have long understood the painful reality that a disproportionate number of African-Americans are caught in the grip of homelessness — and we have to be more intentional about how to confront and end this crisis,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “This report puts the spotlight where it needs to be, and helps us focus efforts on the individuals, families, and communities that need the most help.”

Among the recommendations is that the county should work to improve data collection, analysis and collaborative research to better understand and track issues affecting black people experiencing homelessness, and to advance racially equitable policies, programs and funding across institutions, homeless service providers, and city and county agencies.

“Homelessness is the greatest issue facing Los Angeles and racism is amplifying the impacts of economic inequality and housing access,” Los Angeles City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson said. “Now is the time to directly address the root causes of homelessness and racism remains one of the biggest causes.”

With a perfect paring of presenters, a shorter running time and humorous dialogues, history was once again made as Ruth Carter and Hannah Beachler became the first African-American women to win for costume design and production design, respectively and Spike Lee, despite having an honorary Oscar, finally won an actual one for Best Adapted Screenplay which he shared with Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmot for “Blackklansman.”

“I dreamed of this night. I dreamed of this night and I prayed for this night.” Carter, a previous Oscar nominee told reporters backstage​. “Not only just for being a hard‑working costume designer, but what it would mean for young people coming behind me, because, you know, this came from grass roots,” added Carter who has worked with Spike Lee on over ten films together beginning with “School Daze,” “Do the Right Thing,” “Malcolm X” and “Old Boy.”

Child actress and director Regina King received her first Oscar for the dramatic and touching drama “If Beale Street Could Talk,” a screen adaptation of James Baldwin’s book about a black man accused of raping a white woman.

“It means so much for me personally. I’ve had so many women that have paved the way, are paving the way, and I feel like I walk in their light, and I also am creating my own light. And there are young women that will walk in the light that I’m continuing to shine and expand from those women before me,” King shared backstage.​

Beachler became​ the first-ever black designer to receive a Best Production Design nomination while Mahershala Ali took home his second Oscar in the supporting category for movie “Green Book” and dedicated his Oscar to his grandmother. The actor previously won a supporting Oscar for “Moonlight” and while onstage thanked Dr. Don Shirley, the Jamaican musical prodigy he portrayed in the film. He is now the second black actor, in Oscar history to win two trophies for acting.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse​”​ won Best Animated movie,​ as predicted, beating out “Incredibles”and earning co-director Peter Ramsey a historic win as the first African-America director of an animated movie to win an Oscar.

Backstage Ramsey talked about the incredible response received since the movie’s release last year. “People have reached out to us about this movie, none of us have ever been through anything like the experience of after our movie came out and people would reach out to us and what they say, what they feel, and we feel very close to those people, and that is very addictive and that is why we do this, because we want to feel closer to people and we want people to feel closer to each other.”

Other big winners included Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” a semi-autobiographical reflection of his childhood in Mexico City which received 3 Oscars. Cuarón won for both Best Director and Best Cinematography and Best Foreign-Language Film. “Green Book” earned Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Film. “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the Queen biopic, received a Best Actor nod for its star Rami Malek who played the band’s leader Freddie Mercury.

History was previously made at the 89th Oscar nominations ceremony​ as black actors were​ nominated in every acting category since the Oscar’s nomination history with ​Joi McMillon beca​me the first African-American woman to be recognized by the Academy for editing.

]]>http://www.caribpress.com/oscars-make-history-ruth-carter-regina-king-hannah-beachler-spike-lee-take-home-oscars/feed/0‘If Beale Street Could Talk,’ ‘Roma’ receive Spirit Awardshttp://www.caribpress.com/if-beale-street-could-talk-roma-receive-spirit-awards/
http://www.caribpress.com/if-beale-street-could-talk-roma-receive-spirit-awards/#commentsSun, 24 Feb 2019 05:55:17 +0000http://www.caribpress.com/?p=61593Barry Jenkins timeless romance drama “If Beale Street Could Talk,” received three awards at the Spirit Awards, which was held this afternoon on the beach in Santa Monica.

“Sorry To Bother You,” “The Wife ” and Roma also received awards at the ceremony which aired live today on IFC and Facebook Watch .

“If Beale Street Could Talk,” won Best Feature, Best Director and Best Supporting Female, “Sorry to Bother You” won Best First Feature; “The Wife” won Best Female Lead for lead actress Glen Close and “Roma” won Best International Film.

Now in its 34th year, the Spirit Awards recognizes the achievements of American independent filmmakers and promotes the finest independent films of the year to a wider audience. Presenters included: Sterling K. Brown, Brian Tyree Henry, Taraji P. Henson, Michael Keaton, Kiki Layne, Lakeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson.

The countdown has begun to one of the most-watched live entertainment events of the year.

The first Oscar ceremony was held May 16, 1929 at the Blossom Room in Hollywood’s Roosevelt Hotel with just 270 attendees and now the ceremony is televised in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide. This year’s show promises to honor the incredible slate of nominees – from blockbusters to independent films – and embrace the diversity of the global movie-going audience.

Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic will perform during the “In Memoriam” Segment and Jennifer Hudson will be performing Best Original Song nominee “I’ll Fight,” from RBG and Gillian Welch and David Rawlings will sing The Ballad of Buster Scruggs’ “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings.” As a surprise guest, Bette Midler is set to take the stage for a performance of Mary Poppins Returns’ nominated track “The Place Where Lost Things Go,” and Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper will dive off the deep end together to bring A Star Is Born’s “Shallow” to the Oscar telecast. The only Best Original Song nominee for which a performance has not yet been officially announced is Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “All the Stars,” from “Black Panther.” In addition to the nominated songs, Queen and Adam Lambert will also perform in honor of the Best Picture-nominated “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Who is nominated?
Movies “Roma” and “The Favourite” have 10 nominations each. Each have been nominated for Best Picture competing against two favorites “BlacKkKlansman” and “Black Panther.” Individuals of color nominated include Spike Lee who would make history if he gets the Oscar, Mahershala Ali, Barry Jenkins, Regina King and “Black Panther” costume designer Ruth E. Carter.

Check out the list below for the nominations for the 91st Academy Awards

The 91st annual Academy Awards will take place this Sunday, Feb. 24, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The ceremony will air live on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
(Pictured: Whoopi Goldberg, Jennifer Hudson, Mahershala Ali -photos courtesy of A.M.P.A.S.)

]]>http://www.caribpress.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-upcoming-oscars/feed/0Ebola virus still a concern in parts of Africahttp://www.caribpress.com/ebola-virus-still-a-concern-in-parts-of-africa/
http://www.caribpress.com/ebola-virus-still-a-concern-in-parts-of-africa/#commentsThu, 21 Feb 2019 18:07:44 +0000http://www.caribpress.com/?p=61565The Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak is continuing with moderate intensity. Katwa and Butembo remain the major health zones of concern, while simultaneously, small clusters continue to occur in various geographically dispersed locations. During the last 21 days (30 January – 19 February 2019), 79 new cases have been reported from 40 health areas within 12 health zones.

No new cases have been reported from the Beni in the last three weeks. This is a significant achievement given the previous intensity of the outbreak in this area. Elsewhere, trends in the case incidence (Figure 2) have been encouraging; however, other indicators (such as the continued high proportion of community deaths, persistent delays in case detection, documented local travel amongst many cases, and relatively low numbers of cases among contacts under surveillance) suggest a high risk of further chains of transmission in affected communities. Response teams must maintain a high degree of vigilance across all areas with declining case and contact tracing activity, as with areas with active cases, to rapidly detect new cases and prevent onward transmission.

As of 19 February, 848 EVD cases2 (783 confirmed and 65 probable) have been reported, of which 7% (485) were female and 30% (258) were children aged less than 18 years. Cumulatively, cases have been reported from 119 of 301 health areas across 19 health zones. Ongoing cleaning of case databases this past week corrected to the number of deaths and survivors discharged from Ebola Treatment Centres (ETCs) thus far; overall 529 deaths (case fatality ratio: 62%) and 257 survivors have been reported to date.

To complement ongoing response activities, the Ministry of Health is establishing a Strategic Coordination Centre in Goma. The new Centre will support the coordination and monitoring of the operations in close collaboration with sub-coordination teams working across all affected areas. The implementation of the Strategic Coordination Centre in Goma will not impact on the response capacity in the field, with WHO and partners continuing to maintain full-scale operations in Beni, Butembo and Bunia, as well as a strong presence in all affected Health Zones, to ensure the effectiveness of field operations.

The World Health Organization (WHO) continuously monitors changes to the epidemiological situation and context of the outbreak to ensure that support to the response is adapted to the evolving circumstances. National and regional risk levels remain very high, though global risk levels remain low. This EVD outbreak is affecting primarily the north-eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo bordering Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan. There is a potential risk for transmission of EVD at the national and regional levels due to extensive travel between the affected areas, the rest of the country, and neighbouring countries for economic and personal reasons, as well as due to insecurity. The country is concurrently experiencing other epidemics (e.g. cholera, vaccine-derived poliomyelitis, malaria, measles), and a long-term humanitarian crisis. Additionally, the fragile security situation in North Kivu and Ituri, further limits the implementation of response activities.

As the risk of national and regional spread is very high, it is important for neighboring provinces and countries to enhance surveillance and preparedness activities. The International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) Emergency Committee has advised that failing to intensify these preparedness and surveillance activities would lead to worsening conditions and further spread. WHO will continue to work with neighboring countries and partners to ensure that health authorities are alerted and are operationally prepared to respond.

WHO advises against any restriction of travel to, and trade with, the Democratic Republic of the Congo based on the currently available information. There is currently no licensed vaccine to protect people from the Ebola virus. Therefore, any requirements for certificates of Ebola vaccination are not a reasonable basis for restricting movement across borders or the issuance of visas for passengers leaving the Democratic Republic of the Congo. WHO continues to closely monitor and, if necessary, verify travel and trade measures in relation to this event. Currently, no country has implemented travel measures that significantly interfere with international traffic to and from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Travelers should seek medical advice before travel and should practice good hygiene.

Gov. Gavin Newsom selected Lenny Mendoca, a former McKinsey & Co. partner and now co-owner of a Half Moon Bay brewery, to replace Richard and was approved by the rail board as the new chairman.

This comes just a week after Newsom announced he would be scrapping the broader build of the rail network and instead would just be focusing on the section connecting Bakersfield to Merced.

Richard was the one responsible for issuing construction contracts when California lacked the land to actually build anything, resulting in millions of dollars in claims and delays. He also denied reports for years that the project was going over budget and slipping behind schedule.

“Today I want to recognize Dan Richard and Mike Rossi for their unyielding commitment to this project and for their exemplary public service. I’m looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work to make high-speed rail a reality in California,” Mendonca said in a statement.

Richard’s stepping down from his position was a long time coming, Assembly Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Frazier called on him to resign in November after the ‘state auditor released a scathing audit that found mismanagement had caused billions of dollars in cost growth and long schedule delays.’

‘After being assured multiple times that these ongoing issues were being addressed, it is apparent to me that the authority has been less than forthcoming, Frazier said. “They have continually lied to us about performance. Richard has had every opportunity since 2012 to correct these problems and has failed. Richard owes it to California taxpayers to step aside and let new leadership take over.”

Richard dismissed the criticism at the time, saying he had no need to respond to “errant and uninformed attacks.” What a bogus liar that guy turned out to be.

]]>http://www.caribpress.com/chairman-of-bullet-train-project-resigns/feed/0“Jussie Smollett is now officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation,” says Chicago PDhttp://www.caribpress.com/jussie-smollett-is-now-officially-classified-as-a-suspect-in-a-criminal-investigation-says-chicago-pd/
http://www.caribpress.com/jussie-smollett-is-now-officially-classified-as-a-suspect-in-a-criminal-investigation-says-chicago-pd/#commentsThu, 21 Feb 2019 02:44:02 +0000http://www.caribpress.com/?p=61555Jussie Smollett is officially a suspect in his own attack case.On Wednesday (February 20), Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Gugilemi announced the case update in a tweet. “Jussie Smollett is now officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation by #ChicagoPolice for filing a false police report (Class 4 felony),” he wrote. “Detectives are currently presenting evidence before a Cook County Grand Jury.”

If charged the felony carries a maximum 3-year prison sentence.

As previously reported, the Empire star claimed he was assaulted in Chicago on January 29 by two men wearing ski masks. He said he had just arrived in the city from New York and made a late-night run to a Subway when someone yelled: “Aren’t you that f**got ‘Empire’ n**ga?” Jussie claimed the two attackers then proceeded to jump him, put a rope around his neck and poured bleach on him. However, following a number of discrepancies in his story, it is now believed the 36-year-old actor paid his alleged attackers to jump him.

Sources told TMZ on Wednesday Jussie wrote a $3,500 check to his alleged attackers — brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo — before he incident. While he wrote on the memo line of the check that it was for training, the insiders connected to the brothers are reportedly saying Jussie was indeed paying for training, but he threw in more money than they were owed.

CPD has confirmed that a tip this morning about a sighting at the residential towers of individuals involved in this alleged incident is unfounded as it was not supported by video evidence obtained by detectives.

Anthony Guglielmi

✔@AJGuglielmi

Case Update: Jussie Smollett is now officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation by #ChicagoPolice for filing a false police report (Class 4 felony). Detectives are currently presenting evidence before a Cook County Grand Jury. pic.twitter.com/FhDcbBKsuU

Over the weekend, two police officers told CNN that Jussie’s alleged attackers are cooperating with law enforcement after reportedly providing evidence Jussie set the whole thing up. “We can confirm that the information received from the individuals questioned by police earlier in the Empire case has, in fact, shifted the trajectory of the investigation,” Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement provided toThe Hollywood Reporter. He also tweeted, “While we are not in a position to confirm, deny or comment on the validity of what’s been unofficially released, there are some developments in this investigation and detectives have some follow-ups to complete which include speaking to the individual who reported the incident.”Jussie lawyers, however, continue to deny he had any role in his attack. “As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with,” the said in a recently released statement. “He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying.”

As a result of the varying stories, Jussie’s case is now heading to a Grand Jury, where, as TMZ previously reported, “the focus is presenting evidence that could lead to a felony indictment against Jussie for allegedly filing a false police report.” Most recently, the FBI confirmed that they are working with the US Postal Service to look into whether Jussie was involved in writing/creating the threatening letter that was sent to him prior to his attack. The letter contained racist and homophobic threats as well as white powder that was later determined to be aspirin.